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A riverboat is a ship designed for inland navigation. These vessels are
usually less sturdy than ships built for the open seas, with
limited navigational and rescue equipment, as they do not have to
survive the high winds or large waves characteristic on large
lakes, seas or oceans. They can therefore be built from steel as
well as from composite materials. Although steel is stronger,
composite materials can decrease weight by up to 50% and thus
decrease energy requirements, ... as well.[1] They
are limited in size by width and depth of the river as well as the
height of bridges spanning the river.

While a ferryboat is often used to cross a river, a
riverboat is used to travel along the course of the river, while
carrying passengers and cargo, or both, for revenue. (Vessels like
'Riverboat
casinos' are not considered here as they are essentially
stationary).

The significance of riverboats is dependent on the number of
navigable rivers and channels as well as the condition
of the road and rail network.
Generally speaking, riverboats provide slow but cheap transport
especially suited for bulk
cargo and containers.

History

As early as 20,000 BC people started fishing in rivers and lakes
using rafts and dugouts. Roman
sources dated 50 BC mention extensive transportation of goods and
people on the river Rhine.
Upstream, boats were usually powered by sails or oars. In the Middle Ages, towpaths were built along most
waterways to use working animals or people to pull
riverboats. In the 19th century, steamboats became common.

Australia has a history of Riverboats. Australia's biggest
river, The Murray, has an inland port called Ecuha. Many large
riverboats were working on the Murray, but now lack of water is
stopping them. This may be caused by Global warming and over use of
water for irrigition. The Kalgan River, in Western Australia is one
of the oldest rivers in the world, it has had two main riverboats.
The Silver Star, 1918 to 1935, would lower her funnel to
get under the low bridge. Today, the Kalgan Queen
riverboat takes tourists up the river to taste the local wines. She
lowers her roof to get under the same bridge.

It is these early steam-driven river craft that typically come
to mind when "steamboat"
is mentioned, as these were powered by burning wood, with iron
boilers drafted by a pair of tall smokestacks belching smoke and
cinders, and twin double-acting pistons driving a large paddlewheel
at the stern churning foam. This type of propulsion was an
advantage as a rear paddlewheel operates in an area clear of snags,
is easily repaired, and is not likely to suffer damage in a
grounding. By burning wood, the boat could consume fuel provided by
woodcutters along the shore of the river. These early boats carried
a brow (a short bridge) on the bow, so they could head in to an
unimproved shore for transfer of cargo and passengers.

Modern
Riverboats

Luxury
tourist transport

Some large riverboats are comparable in accommodation, food
service, and entertainment to a modern oceanic cruise ship. Tourist
boats provide a scenic and relaxing trip through the segment they
operate in.

On the Yangtze River, they typically employ staff for double
duties: both as serving staff and as evening-costumed dancing
entertainers.

Tourist riverboats

Smaller luxury craft (without entertainment) operate on European
waterways - both rivers and canals, with some providing bicycle and
van side trips to smaller villages.

High speed passenger
transport

High speed boats such as those shown here had a special
advantage in some operations in the free running Yangze. In several
locations within the three gorges one way travel was enforced
through fast narrows. While less maneuverable and deeper draft
vessels were obliged to wait for clearance these high speed boats
were free to zip past waiting traffic by running in the
shallows.

Local and low cost
passenger transport

Smaller riverboats are used in urban and suburban areas for
sightseeing and public transport. Sightseeing boats can be found in
Amsterdam, Paris, and other touristic cities where historical
monuments are located near water.

The concept of local waterborn public transport is known as Water taxi in
English-speaking countries , vaporetto in Venice, water/river tramway in
former Soviet Union and Poland (although sightseeing boats can be
called water tramways too). Local waterborn public transport is
similar to ferry.

The transport craft shown below is used for short distance
carriage of passengers between villages and small cities along the
Yangtze, while Larger craft are used for low cost carriage over
longer distance, without the fancy food or shows seen on the
tourist riverboats. In some cases the traveller must provide their
own food.

Goods
transport

Multimodal

Roads through this region are inadequate for heavy truck
transport and roads along the river are extremely dangerous. As the
major rivers are mostly east-west, most railroad transport is
typically north-south.

Here, a drive/on drive/off ramp barge is used to transport
trucks. In many cases the trucks transported are new and are being
delivered to customers or dealers. Perhaps unique to China, the new
trucks observed traveling upstream were all blue, while the new
trucks traveling downstream were all white.

Bulk
cargo

Riverboat used for bulk cargo transport

Low value goods are transported on rivers and canals worldwide,
since slow speed barge traffic offers the lowest possible cost per
ton mile and the capital cost per ton carried is also quite low
compared to other modes of transport

History

Terrace, British Columbia, Canada, celebrates "Riverboat
Days" each summer. The Skeena River passes through Terrace and
played a crucial role during the age of the steamboat. The first steam-powered vessel to
enter the Skeena was the Union in 1864. In 1866 the
Mumford attempted to ascend the river but was only able to
reach the Kitsumkalum River. It was not until 1891 that the
Hudson's Bay Company sternwheeler the Caledonia
successfully negotiated through the Kitselas Canyon and reached Hazelton. A number of other
steamers were built around the turn of the century, in part due to
the growing fish industry and the gold rush.[2]

WT Preston, a
museum ship that was once a specialized river dredge, also called a
"snagboat."

See also

A riverboat on the Willamette River

In some regions, such as northern Russia, the rivers freeze in
winter. The riverboats stay in the "ice prison". The port of Kazan,
late March.